How much better is the latest equipment over previous generations? This was the question we wanted to answer with our Ping G400 v G v G30 Driver Test video.

What you can see here is result of four years worth of PING driver engineering expertise. The Ping G30 driver was the first to feature turbulator technology – the fins on the crown that help the head move faster through the air. This evolved in the G version to include a ‘Dragon Fly’ pattern on the crown that would make the head lighter but stronger for important forgiveness and speed gains.

In the new G400 this has changed again – the head is smaller to look down on and a new forged face delivers a much improved impact sound.

Ping G400 v G v G30 Driver Test: Result

For our test we used the low spin version of each driver, a 9.5˚ head and a tour stiff shaft. For those using a G30 driver, the good news was that the performance was still strong. In particular, the spin numbers were excellent – this was spinning at around 1700rpm and delivering a launch angle of 11.5˚. A total carry distance of around 283 yards was impressive from a four year-old driver.

Onto the G driver and the differences here were relatively small. The clubhead speed jumped up by around 5mph, the spin was still low (below 1600rpm) and the carry distance improved a fraction to 285 yards.

The major jump in performance can be seen with the leap into G400… Over the G30, the new G400 delivered an extra 10 yards of carry distance. Once the roll had been factored in this equated to almost 20 yards of added power. That all this comes from a driver head that is smaller is extremely impressive.

For us the biggest improvement in performance came with the impact sound. Gone is the loud ‘ping’ we have become used to and in its place is a duller more powerful contact. We loved this development!

Ping G400 v G v G30 Driver Test: Verdict

Whether or not the 10 extra yards of carry distance from G30 to G400 warrants a investment of some £389 is a question you’ll have to answer yourself. However, driving the ball well is about much more than just distance and there is no doubt the overall performance is greatly improved.